Former Nashville pastor gets 6 months for not filing taxes for 8 years

Sep. 24, 2013

Written by

Ce’Dra Jackson

The Tennessean

Kenneth L. Richardson

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A former pastor and bail bondsman was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Nashville to six months in federal prison for failing to report his income taxes for eight years.

Kenneth L. Richardson, 50, of Nashville was indicted in February 2011 when he submitted a false federal income tax return for 2004. He also willingly failed to submit his federal income tax returns from 2005 until 2012, according to court documents.

Richardson, who served as a pastor at St. Marks Church in Nashville for 10 years, pleaded guilty to two counts of submitting false tax reports and failing to report tax returns. The prosecution dismissed two other counts of failing to report federal taxes.

Richardson, who owned and operated Skyy Bonding Co. at the time of his indictment, also must serve six months of supervised release after he serves his prison sentence. Richardson also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell to pay the Internal Revenue Service $269,395.96 in back taxes.

He also is required to pay a $125 special assessment fee.

“I did not refuse to file taxes to blatantly disregard the law,” Richardson said in court. “What I’ve done, I’ve done wrong and I take full responsibility for it.”

Richardson has requested that he be assigned to a prison as close to the Nashville area as possible for family visitation. Campbell also made a recommendation to the Bureau of Prisons that he stay in a facility that can tend to his health conditions.

Among his health issues are diabetes and back problems. He also has two adopted children, ages 10 and 7.

Ce’Dra Jackson is a reporter for the Seigenthaler News Service–TSU. She can be reached at cebojac@gmail.com.